


Escape

by mggislife2789 (dontshootmespence)



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Dream Sequence, Gen, Plot Twists, Sorry I'm a dick, Video & Computer Games
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-22
Updated: 2019-07-22
Packaged: 2020-07-11 12:48:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19928311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dontshootmespence/pseuds/mggislife2789
Summary: After returning from a case in Oklahoma where women were stabbed on the same night a serial killer with the same motive was executed, the team decides to head out to let off some steam. Instead of drinks, they channel their inner child at a local arcade.Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters or their original stories. This is only for fun. It's where my brain goes after the credits roll. No copyright intended. Better safe than sorry. ;)





	Escape

“We need a break,” Emily said, rubbing her temples in effort to stave off an incoming migraine. 

The case ran them ragged. Although it was fairly obvious the killer was a copycat, the killer didn’t slow down and kept the BAU moving for nearly a day and a half straight. 

Derek called from the other end of the jet. “Should we grab drinks?” A low grumble from the rest of the team shot down that possibility pretty quickly.

“I think I’ve got a better idea,” Rossi said, a knowing smirk emerging on his face. “When we get back let’s pick up Garcia and I’ll drive.”  
“Care to tell us where we’re going?” Hotch asked.

“Nope,” Rossi replied, popping the ‘p’ with a satisfied smack.  
\------  
Neon lights and the sounds of victory assaulted them as they walked into the arcade. “It’s time for Aaron and I to show you kids how it’s done,” Rossi said.

Despite the fact that no one saw this coming, they all dispersed to various corners of the arcade and channeled their inner child. This was what they all needed. Drinks were fun every now and then, but when life got too serious it was time to take it back to times of innocence. They deserved to act as if there were no troubles in the world - if only for a little while.

Morgan went straight for skee ball, but surprisingly he sucked at it, leaving Emily to come up and school him. Rossi and Hotch found a wall of retro games like Pac-Man and Tempest and stayed there, eyes glazing over without a care in the world. JJ and Penelope found a trivia game, betting on who would dominate and Spencer went from machine to machine, unable to stick with one game. When it came to hand-eye coordination, Spencer was about as talented as he was as a child, when he was forced to play sports in school. Any game that took coordination left him essentially hopeless. “Okay, kid,” Rossi said, coming up to Spencer’s side at the Galaga machine. “This is my area of expertise.”

“You’d think it would be behavioral analysis considering you co-founded the BAU,” he laughed.

“One would think, but it’s actually Galaga. Let me teach you my ways.”

As Rossi got into his game, cursing like the old Italian he was whenever he lost, the rest of the team gathered round. “How are you so good at this?” Spencer exclaimed.

“I wasted hours upon hours of my life playing it, that’s why.” Just as he was about to lose another life, he made the most amazing evasive maneuver and beat the level. After what seemed like an eternity, he finally lost, but he didn’t make the leaderboard and gave the machine back to Spencer to try again. Even Rossi’s teachings couldn’t make him any better.

Morgan sidled up to the machine and playfully checked Spencer to the side. “It’s because you were barely a year old when it came out, Pretty Boy.”

“Shut up,” he snickered, punching his shoulder. 

While Morgan lost over and over again, Spencer played some Pac-Man but eventually came back to give Morgan a taste of his own medicine. “You grew up with this game and you still suck,” he teased.

He talked a big talk but when it came to Galaga, Morgan couldn’t walk the walk. Garcia shoved her way up to the machine and pushed him to the side. “You may be beautiful and have the muscles of a Greek God, my Chocolate Thunder, but it’s time for the real champion here.”  
“I couldn’t even get on this leaderboard,” Rossi stated, “There’s no way you get one of the highest scores.”

“Wanna bet? $100?”

“You’re on.”

Everything else faded into the background as they all lasered in on Garcia’s game. She was really good, but Spencer wasn’t sure that she was going to beat Rossi’s score from earlier. But it didn’t matter, all that mattered right now was that none of them were thinking about work. Galaga was all that existed.

As Garcia got closer and closer to eclipsing Rossi’s score, they all began cheering her on and Rossi even preemptively reached into his wallet to grab the money she was absolutely going to win. Minutes later she passed his score and minutes after that Garcia finally lost her last life. “The moment of truth,” she said, waiting impatiently for the final score to come up. “Oh! Look at that! Ninth place, but I made it!” She held out her hand for Morgan to kiss.

“Your majesty,” he laughed, passing Rossi’s money to her. “You’re winnings.”

She turned around and reveled in her victory, taking a bow as the rest of the team clapped and bent a knee to her superiority.  
“Alright, I’ll admit it, I was wrong,” Rossi acknowledged. “But this was better than drinks, right?”

“Absolutely,” Garcia replied. “That has nothing to do with the fact that I just won $100. It’s just about the fact that we’re all together.”

“You always know how to make it sappy, Baby Girl.”

“It’s a skill.”  
\------

With a jerk, Spencer awoke, hard concrete pressing into his back as his surroundings came back into focus. He was still here, inside these four walls, desperate for a way out and losing hope day by day. 

As the image of the arcade started to fade from his mind, he begged it to return - the neon lights, his friends’ smiles - before carving another tick mark into the wall of this concrete hell.


End file.
